Cold weather goggles



Qdi 28 l952 w. R. lcHRlsTENsEN ETAL 2,615,152

COLD WEATHER GOGGLES Filed June .8, 1949 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED COLD WEATHER GoGGLEs William R. Christensen, Newton Highlands, and Chester E. Cross, East Sandwich, Mass.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,868

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to anti-fogging and antifrosting goggles and, more particularly, to goggles of the double-lens type, provided with an improved closed air circulating system for removing moisture from the air and preventing the collec tion thereof upon the goggle lenses.

1n order to provide a goggles structure which may be utilized under low ambient temperature conditions, it is necessary to provide an air-circulatory system for the goggles which keeps the goggle lenses free of moisture and at the same time prevents undue chilling of the eyes.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved exible anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a exible goggles structure having improved dehumidifying and air cooling means for the air in the eyecup cavities of the goggles to prevent fogging or frosting of the lens thereof in cold weather.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fieXible goggles having one or more condensers for cooling and dehumidifying the air in the eyecups by circulation of air through the condensers so that undue chilling of the eyes is prevented.

Further objects, advantages, adaptations and modifications of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the goggles structure embodying this invention;

' Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view of the condenser structure embodied in this invention; and

Figure 4 is a partial top plan view with one of the condenser elements partially broken away.

Referring to the drawings, goggles frame Il! comprises a conventional, flexible, rubber-type structure having a resilient, face-contacting part I I, a circumferential web I2, provided with bead I3, within which is a exible lens-holding groove I4.

As above indicated, the goggles frame I0 is of conventional rubber material, and the groove I4 is adapted to be ilexed for insertion of goggles lens I5 in the usual and conventional manner. In addition to the groove I4, there are provided conventional snap fasteners I6, likewise of conventional structure for clamping or securing the lens I5 in groove I4. Goggles frame I0 is also provided with a conventional head-strap I'I, threaded through and fastened to lugs or ears I8 in a conventional manner.

The face-contacting side of the face-contacting part II of the goggles frameis overlaid with a layer of chamois or cloth I I and the lower portion of this coating is extended to provide a nose protector I9. Any suitable rubber cellulosic or resinous adhesive may be used to secure this covering to the part II of the frame.

Attached across the top of the goggles frame I0, as shown in Fig. 1, is a series of closed, condensers 20 formed from heat conductive metal in the nature of copper, aluminum, tin or the like. These condensers 20 comprise rectangular, structures formed from thin, flexible copper sheeting 2 I. The front, top and side walls may be formed from a single sheet provided with a series of internal accordion folds at spaced intervals to provide the uniformly spaced internal ns 22 in the condensers 20. The housing is completed by sheet copper end Walls 23 having vertical nanges 23 overlapping the peripheral edges of the front and back walls and sealed thereto by soldering or by use of a suitable adhesive, in the nature of rubber, cellulose acetate or the like, making condenser 20 open only at its lower end, as Shown in Fig. 3.

Within condenser 2li is provided a partition 24,

consisting of a longitudinal thin copper sheet of the same width as the front wall and bent to form a series of iins 25, which project into the space between iins 22 when the parts are in assembled relation. The lower end 24 of the partition 2 4 is bent upon itself and hooked to form a U-shaped clamp 25, which fits about a cork or rubber insulating ring 21, shown in Figs. 2vand 3 to hold the latter and a transparent partition 28 in spaced relation to the lens I5.

, The insulation 2l is secured about the upper edge of the partition 28. Further, this insulation 2l' is secured to the partition 24, in the mannerv of rectangular openings 30 corresponding in area substantially to the horizontal cross-sectional area of condensers 20 are cut through the web I 2 box-like 'partition 28.

ltortuous passages communicating so that the open lower end portion of the condensers 20 may be placed therein and sealed against the leakage of air by a suitable adhesive, as rubber, resin or the like.

As disclosed in Fig. 3, the bottom edge of the front walls of condensers 20 is sealed or cemented against the bead i3 at 3i and the bottom edge of the rear wall is sealed to the portion Il of the goggles frame l at 32. The end walls 23 of the condensers may likewise be cemented to the opposite ends of openings 3E).

With an arrangement of the structure as described and the goggles suitably adjusted against the face of the wearer, normal body heat will cause iconvection currents within the eyecup cavities and the condensers 2D. The air in the eyecup cavities, due to its relatively elevated temperature, will pass from about the eyes upwardly into the condensers 2D. The condensers 2Q, being exposed to climatic temperatures and conditions, provides condensation surfaces for moisture contained in the air passing therethrough. That is, under low temperature conditions moisture condenses and solidies on the heat-conducting surfaces within the condensers V2G as air passes through the tortuous passageway provided by rins 22 and 25 upwardly and downwardlylover partition 251. With the air thus re klieved of moisture content and cooled, it flows downwardly between the lens I5 and transparent The lower edge of this partition 2S is spaced from the lower inner edge of the jframe ID to define an lopening 33 through which air from' the space between the lens l5 and parti- 'tion 28 passes to re-abscrb further moisture ywhich may develop within the eyecup cavity bejtween partition 2S and the wearers eyes.

1 It willy be observed therefore that there has jbeen provided anexible goggles structure capable or" Vwithstanding low temperature conditions of and somewhat lower for relatively unlimited periods of time.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the Lf'oregcing is a `description in detail of what is new considered to be the preferred form of the invention, but it will be obvious that various minor changesmay be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

around the eyes of a wearer the combination comprising, one or more air cooling and dehumidifying condensers sealed in apertures in one side of said frame, said condensers each comprising a housing having horizontal and vertical partitioning means dening front and rear with each other at the ends thereof adjacent the outer end of the housing and with the sealed space encompassed by said frame adjacent their opposite ends; and air deilecting means cooperating with the partitioning means to isolate the inner ends oi the front and rear passages from direct communication with each other, said defiecting means, partitioning means and lens also cooperating to promote convectional flow of air from the space in said goggles containing air warmed by Contact with the wearers face through the condensers and adjacent the inner side of the lens back to the said warmed air space in the goggles at a region opposite the condensers.

2. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a lens supported in a frame which has a flexible face-contacting part cooperating with the lens to define a substantially sealed space around the eyes of a wearer the combination comprising, one or more condensers sealed in apertures in one side of said frame, said condensers each comprising a housing having horizontal and vertical partitioning means defining front and rear tortuous passages communicating with each other at the ends thereof adjacent the outer end of the housing and with the sealed space encompassed by said frame adjacent their opposite ends; and a transparent partition in said frame cooperating with the lens to define a relatively narrow space immediately behind said lens communicating with the space behind the partition containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face at the side of the frame opposite said condenser, said transparent partition cooperating with the partitioning means in the condenser to promote convectional flow oi air from the Warm air space through the condenser and from the discharge side of the latter through the narrow space and back to the warm air space.

3. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a lens supported in a frame which has a flexible face-contacting part cooperating with the lens to define a substantially sealed space around the eyes of a wearer the combination comprising, one or more condensers sealed in one side of said frame, each of said condensers comprising a generally rectangular box-like housing of relatively thin sheet material bent to form a plurality of fins projecting horizontaly and vertically relative to the side wall of said housing, a partition in said housing having a plurality of ns thereon, said partition and the i'lns thereon and on said housing cooperating to dene tortuous front and rear passages ,com municating with each other at the ends thereof adjacent the outer end of the housing and with the sealed space encompassed by said frame adjacent their opposite ends; and air ldeilector means cooperating with the partitioning means to isolate the `lower ends of the front end rear passages from direct communication with each other, said deiiector means, partitioning means and lens also cooperating to promote convectional iiow of air from the space in said goggles containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face through the condenser .and along the inner side oi the lens back to the said warmed air space in the goggles at a region opposite the condenser.

4. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles havingl a lens supported in a frame including a flexible face-contacting part cooperating with the lens to define a substantially sealed space around the eyes of a wearer the combination comprising, one or more condensers sealed in the top side of said frame, said condensers each comprising a housing and partitioning means to divide the housing into vertical passages communicating with each other at the ends thereof adjacent the upper end of the housing and with the space encompassed by said frame adjacent their opposite ends; and a transparent partition in said frame cooperating with the lens to define a relatively narrow space immediately behind said lens communicating withthe space behind the partition containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face adjacent the lower edge of the frame, the lower edge of the partitioning means in said condenser being hooked and embracing the portion of the upper edge of the transparent partition coextensive therewith, and a gasket between the transparent partition and hooked end of the partitioning means, said transparent partition cooperating with the partitioning means in the condenser to promote convectional flow of air from the warmed air space through the condensers and from the discharge side of the latter through the closed space and back to the warm air space.

WILLIAM R. CHRISTENSEN.

CHESTER E. CROSS.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

r) UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,670,638 Shindel Y May 22, 1.928 2,149,514 Fischer Mar. 7, 1939 2,373,388 Fischer Apr. 10, 1945 l0 

